


The Apology Tour

by IJM, Reronettie (Killianemma915)



Category: General Hospital
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-07
Updated: 2020-05-07
Packaged: 2021-03-02 17:07:55
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,473
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24050338
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IJM/pseuds/IJM, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Killianemma915/pseuds/Reronettie
Summary: Franco is determined to make things right with Elizabeth.
Relationships: Franco Baldwin/Elizabeth Baldwin
Comments: 12
Kudos: 21





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Twitter Frizzies](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=Twitter+Frizzies).



> Not for profit.  
> No claim of ownership of characters.  
> For entertainment purposes only.

Franco Baldwin was determined to make up for misspeaking and hurting his wife Elizabeth’s feelings. He asked himself why he had said she was not a “real artist” when he should have said she was not a “professional artist.”

No, he should not have said _that_ either. Even if it were true, it hurt her feelings and her crestfallen expression was stuck in his mind’s eye. He never would have purposefully hurt her, even with a stupid poor choice of phrase.

His friend Ava Jerome told him he had a strong marriage and he could make it better. Chocolates and flowers were a nice place to start, but he wanted to do more to show Elizabeth that she and the boys were his everything.

With help from his sort-of surrogate mother-in-law Laura Collins, Franco set up a night that he hoped Elizabeth would remember and would make her remember their love too. Laura had followed his instructions for their home and taken the kids for the night. Flowers and chocolate would be waiting in their bedroom.

He laughed, thinking of the text he got from Cameron. “Really? On a Tuesday? What did you do?”

“I said something stupid. You’ll understand the first time you put your foot in your mouth with Trina,” he replied to Cam.

Meanwhile, Franco worked out his other surprises for Elizabeth.

He met Elizabeth at the time clock as she was punching out for the day.

“I’m really sorry,” he announced. “What I said was stupid and I hope you will forgive me.”

Elizabeth sighed. It had been a long day for her, and she was tired. “Of course, I will forgive you,” she told him. “I’ve been called much worse than _not a real artist_. Let’s just go home,” she sighed again.

He could tell that she was exhausted. Franco was relieved that he was forgiven, but he had planned a special night. “No, let’s not,” he suggested. “I hope you will indulge me. I have something better in mind.”

“Better than soaking in a hot bubble bath?” she asked, sounding skeptical.

“I hope so,” He lost his confidence, however, feeling as if his forgiveness were tentative. “I mean, if you really want to go home and take a bubble bath, that’s your decision. I planned a surprise…”

Elizabeth easily saw how contrite he was. Her heart could not help but soften. “I like surprises,” she smiled, and she touched his cheek with her palm. “Where are we going?”

He had one arm behind his back while they were speaking. When Elizabeth asked where they were going, he showed her that he had a single pink rose for her. “The Floating Rib,” he announced.

“Like our first date?” she asked, taking the rose and sniffing it. She remembered the flower he gave her that night a few years ago. What was left of it was pressed and dried in her grandmother Audrey’s family Bible in her nightstand at home.

“Exactly.” He paused a moment. “Not _exactly_ , exactly. I don’t foresee being falsely arrested tonight.”

Elizabeth chuckled at the experience of their first date. Her husband was a frequent flyer at the PCPD, despite his innocence. “I want a root beer float,” she announced.

“Then that’s what you’ll have, my Queen.” He interlocked his arm with hers and he escorted her to the elevator.

They were quickly seated at the Floating Rib. Elizabeth ordered her root beer float and Franco ordered a beer and Hot Dirty Fries which were house-cut fresh fried potatoes covered with a spicy seasoning and sprinkled with cheese. He knew Elizabeth loved them and would “steal” some while telling him how bad they were for him.

She helped herself to his fries and even dipped a couple into her float.

“That’s kind of gross,” Franco teased her.

“Try one,” she said, holding a soaking wet fry out to him.

He bit into it while it was still in her fingers. “Okay,” he shrugged. “That was better than I expected.”

She laughed. “This was really sweet of you,” she said. “I suppose we need to get home to the boys soon though.”

“What boys?” he asked, his face a blank slate.

“The three sometimes-sweet, sometimes-obnoxious little humans that eat all our food and spend all our money. Remember them?”

“I remember them. They’re with their Grandma tonight. Laura,” he added. “Not Heather.” His expression gave away nothing.

Elizabeth laughed out loud. “The day you turn to Heather for babysitting duties is the day I will _actually_ be mad at you.”

“I was so stupid today,” he apologized again. “I hurt your feelings—”

“It’s over,” Elizabeth said, putting her hand on his arm. “You apologized. I accept. You topped your apology with ice cream. What more could a girl want?”

“Our date night isn’t over though,” he perked up. “I have something special waiting for you at my studio.”

“ _Your studio_?” she repeated, surprised. “Haven’t you been avoiding your studio for two years?”

“There about,” he shrugged. He didn’t say anything more about the studio until they arrived. He unlocked the door and flipped the light switch.

Elizabeth was stunned by the changes he had made.

“I had it remodeled,” he started, stating the obvious. “Can I explain to you why?”

“Earthquake?” Elizabeth asked, walking into the room to get a closer look at the changes. With the brighter colors and clean surfaces, new furniture, and new fixtures, it was hard to believe it was even the same space.

“Well, it’s more than that. I came close to just selling the building altogether and using the money on more important things.”

“But your art is important,” Elizabeth argued. She turned around to face her husband.

“ _Our_ art is important,” he corrected her. “A lot has changed since the last time I used this place as a studio. Uncle Jim is dead.”

“Don’t call him _Uncle_ ,” Elizabeth cringed.

Franco nodded, but preferred to not speak his name again. “He’s dead. We got married. I think all the boys feel like I’m part of the family now.”

“Think?” Elizabeth asked. “They all adore you.”

He smiled, remembering Cameron’s teasing message. “I used to feel safe here, even when I let go of the darkest feelings I had, I was _safe_ in this space, until _he_ became part of this space.” He blinked rapidly to steady his emotions.

“So, I wanted to destroy it or just get rid of it for a long time. I never bothered for one reason or another. I just put it off instead of dealing with it. At Christmas, when Jake showed me that he had drawn me a picture every day that I was suffering the delusion of being Drew, I thought… we can make this a safe space again.”

“With a remodel?” Elizabeth asked.

“Look around. What do you see?”

Elizabeth took in the newly painted walls which were no longer covered with Franco’s graffiti, but instead a mural of blue hews. His earlier works were all gone. There was a portrait of Elizabeth as a focal point on one wall and a portrait of the each of her sons on the others. It was apparent that he had been making changes for a while.

“Three stations?” she asked, noting three distinct areas designed for an artist to have all his—or her—materials at hand. “Why three?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” Franco asked. “Me, Jake, and _you_. I believe you’re a _real_ artist, Elizabeth. Just like I think Jake is a real artist. If anything, I’m the hack among us.”

Elizabeth’s eyes filled with tears. Franco hadn’t pulled this all together in one afternoon. He might have put some finishing touches on what he had already started, but this was proof positive that he truly had just misspoken.

“And with three stations, if Cam or Aiden ever get the urge to paint… or their friends do… the studio is more user-friendly, don’t you think? More _family_ -friendly?”

“Absolutely,” Elizabeth agreed. “It’s beautiful. It’s… serene and inviting.”

“Because our family is what makes me feel safe now. I just… got rid of all that dark baggage. It doesn’t belong here anymore. You belong here with your own supplies. Jake belongs here.”

“Were you working on this in February?”

She thought about her anniversary gift again. He had planned all along for her to have her own place to paint.

He nodded. “I was going to surprise you for your birthday, but… foot-in-mouth disease got me. I wanted you to see that I have faith in you as an artist and I have faith in us as husband and wife. I have faith in our kids.”

“Oh, Franco!” This is the best present, the most romantic gesture…”

“It’s not a gesture. It’s a foundation. For all of us, as a family, to grow and to always have a place where we feel safe and where we can express anything to each other with our work or our words. Good or bad… this is us, Elizabeth. Our family makes me feel safe. I hope you feel the same way.”

“It’s everything,” she agreed. “Our growing family is everything.

He hugged her and kissed her, but abruptly pulled away. “Did you say _growing family_?”

Elizabeth was biting her lip, trying diligently not to laugh. “Caught that, did‘ja?” she asked.

He walked away and back to her quickly, pacing in a circle. “Wh-wh-what does that mean?”

“Are you upset?” Elizabeth asked. She expected a different reaction. “I thought you’d be happy.”

“Yeah, no, wait. What was the question?” he fumbled through his words. “I’m happy. I’m really happy.” However, he sounded like he was hyperventilating.

He sat on a chair and gulped in air. “A baby?”

Elizabeth was both surprised and concerned about his reaction. “What’s wrong? Why are you upset?”

“We’re already in so much debt.”

“Oh, stop it!” Elizabeth raised her voice. “Money is not everything. We both have good jobs and your art can be lucrative. You’re putting too much pressure on yourself. We had a bad year. We’ll recover. Stop thinking about bills and college funds for a minute and think about what I just told you.”

He stopped and he took a deep breath. Elizabeth was pregnant. They were going to have a baby. He smiled and his eyes lit up in a twinkle. “We’re going to have a baby,” he said. There were tears in his eyes as he approached his wife. “We’re going to have a baby.”

“And you thought _you_ had a surprise for _me_ ,” Elizabeth teased.

“Best news ever,” he said, still smiling. “But my surprises aren’t over. There’s something waiting for you at home.”

“It better be you,” she laughed as he took her hand and led her out of the remodeled studio.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Co-author: Reronettie

By the time they got home, all the earlier exhaustion Franco had seen on Elizabeth’s face had faded. She looked hungry now, and not for food. He gasped as they got just inside the doorway, and his teeny tiny wife had him pressed up against the wall.

It should not be possible for her small frame to hold him. But she was managing. He grinned as she kissed him, shifted, trying to keep their bodies together, and moved them toward the stairs.  
  
To Franco’s surprise, Elizabeth guided him to the arm of the sofa, then gave him a tiny shove, and he toppled over onto it. She grinned down at him, wickedly, and laid on top of him. He could not believe what had come over his wife.

“There is another small surprise upstairs.” He encouraged, trying his best to lead her to the bedroom with the flowers and chocolates.

“Whatever it is can’t possibly be as good as what is in front of me.” She began to fiddle with the top button on his favorite denim shirt. 

“Besides, we so rarely have this house to ourselves.” She had most of the shirt open by the time she finished speaking.

Franco had to admit she was right. They never had the house to themselves, and when they did, it was sometimes nice to be out of their comfort zone. Besides, he could never argue with Elizabeth. She was right. He could not remember the last time they had made love anywhere besides their bed. He succumbed as she pulled his mouth to hers again. 

“You’re right. The surprise can wait.” He teased, helping her remove the shirt.  
  
She smiled at his bare chest, running her hands over his body hungrily.

They kissed gently, exploring each other’s mouths. Franco helped her push her jacket off her shoulders. Even in her blue work scrubs, she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.

Sometimes he was self-conscious of the fact that in their 4-year relationship, Elizabeth hadn’t aged much. He looked down at her as she began to pull the scrub and undershirt off in a single movement. She smiled at him as he drunk in the image of her in just her white cotton bra.

His eyes found her belly. 

You would never know she was growing a life inside of her—a life that the two of them had made together. It was wonderous to think of that. He could not wait for the next part of the journey. A few years ago, he had been terrified to have a child with Nina. Now he was excited because he knew that anything that was half Elizabeth could never be evil. He found himself surprisingly happy to become a father.

“You’re staring at me.” She said, snapping him back to reality. He grinned sheepishly up at her.

“I was just thinking about the baby.” He looked down again. “How excited I’m going to be to meet her.”

“It could be a boy.” She giggled. 

“Call it a hunch, but the universe could not be cruel enough to saddle you with more testosterone.” They both chuckled, and she began to kiss him again, pulling him back into the moment.

“I guess we will find out in about eight months.” She explained.

“We can find out sooner than that.” He reminded. 

“But, I like surprises.” She kissed her way down to the spot on his neck that always went straight to his groin.

“Right.” He let out a moan as she sank her teeth in gently. “Is it safe to you know…”

“Yes.” She whispered into his ear, “In fact, most doctors encourage intimacy during pregnancy.”

“If you are sure, I don’t want to put the baby at risk.” Elizabeth stared at him, her eyes filling with tears.

“I want you, Franco. This baby is a part of you and a part of me. I would never put it at risk. The fact that you think of the baby and me first is why you are the love of my life. No one has ever loved me the way you do.”

That was all he needed to hear. He reached down and pulled the drawstring on her pants. He was so used to slipping her out of scrubs that it had become second nature. She smiled as he pulled them to her ankles, revealing a matching white cotton pair of underwear. With three kids, they were well past the formality of fancy undergarments.  
  
Franco thought Elizabeth was the most beautiful creature ever, just the way she was. He watched as she stood and stepped out of the pants. Franco still had on his jeans and his boxers. He pulled Elizabeth to him and kissed from her neck to her cotton-covered breasts. 

He reached around and deftly unhooked the bra. Elizabeth laughed as he ran his hand down her spine, where he knew it tickled.

He took one of her nipples in his mouth, relishing in her cry as he bit it lightly. She reached her hand down, rubbing him through his pants while he sucked. He grabbed the other nipple and pinched it between his fingers, eliciting more moans of pleasure. She screamed as the pinching sensation sent shockwaves to her core. Franco knew her body better than she did. He had learned in their four years together precisely what the woman who had been brave enough to marry him liked.

“I love you.” She smiled eyes full of the same look she gave him every time, the look that made him feel like he could finally breathe.

“I love you more.” He said. He had intended to ravish her body and little more, but the way she reached for his waistband told him what she wanted. She undid the snap and pulled his underwear and the pants off with it.   
She looked at him with that hunger again. He smiled down at her, his beautiful pregnant wife. 

A few years ago, he would never have imagined that he would find himself here. Franco Baldwin was a family man with a wife and baby on the way. He wasn’t the monster the tumor had made him anymore. He was a good man, and Elizabeth’s love showed him that.

He stood, shifting so that she was on her back on the couch. His pants and underwear came off in a single motion. He lingered over her for a second as she drank his entirely naked body in with her eyes. Then, he kissed her belly gently, followed by each of her hips, and pulled her simple underwear down her legs and over her feet.

He looked down at the form of his wife, splayed on the couch where the boys usually watched tv or played video games. He climbed on top of her, careful not to put too much of his weight on her. He felt her hand reach between them and stroke him a few times before she lined him up. He had to fight the urge to explode just from entering her.

She stared up at him, her eyes glazed over with passion. It felt like their bodies were made to go together. She never took her eyes off of him as he began to move. What had happened between them when he told her she wasn’t a real artist meant nothing now. They were stronger than a stupid fight. Nothing could ever tear them apart.

He moved more now, no longer thinking about anything, but the pure pleasure of making love to his wife, the woman who had become his soulmate and his best friend. She grabbed ahold of him, letting him take her. 

“More.” She begged. Franco kept the pace slow, wanting this to last as long as possible. He was grateful he had sent the boys away. 

“We have time.” He whispered gently. Elizabeth grinned and bit his ear. He knew she was begging for more, and his resolve snapped. He gave her exactly what she wanted, taking her so hard that the sound of skin slapping skin filled the air. His eyes never left hers as they made love. He could tell how close she was. He moved his hand between them, rubbing her as he felt his orgasm growing closer. It didn’t take long before Elizabeth’s body twitched around his. He screamed her name just before he released inside of her.

They laid in the afterglow on the couch for a moment, just taking each other in. Franco moved so that Liz was on top of him. He hoped he hadn’t hurt her. She seemed to notice that he was deep in thought, and she furrowed her brow at him. He studied her face; she was thinking hard.

“Is something the matter?” He frowned.

“Not really.” She smiled. “It’s just… I was thinking about how different being pregnant is this time around.”

“What do you mean?” He asked, hopefully.

“My other pregnancies were all complicated. The first two times, I was dating someone that wasn’t the baby’s father. In the case of Aiden, I didn’t know who the father even was.” She paused. “This time, it all makes sense, because I have you.” He didn’t respond with words.   
He simply kissed her gently on the lips.   
“I’m so scared to be someone’s father.” He said quietly.

“You already are someone’s father, Franco, you were Kiki’s father, and you are Cameron’s father, and Jake’s father, and Aiden’s father,” Elizabeth spoke. “And don’t start with that my offspring will be evil stuff.”

“I could never think something that is half you could be evil.” He said. He realized at that moment that the words were true. 

“Now, stop moping, you said there is a surprise upstairs?” She grinned her dimpled smile.

“It’s just flowers and chocolate.” He explained. “Nothing nearly as special as the studio.”

“Chocolate.” With a mischievous grin. “I think the baby would love some chocolate.” At that she ran up the stairs completely naked. Franco sighed before happily following her.

**Author's Note:**

> As always, feedback is appreciated.


End file.
